# How to turn off tab + space submitting a reply?
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [26 februari 2019 om 22:33 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184 "2019-02-26T22:33:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [26 februari 2019 om 22:33 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/1 "2019-02-26T22:33:56Z")
It happened to me more than once that a topic was posted even though I haven’t finished writing it, since some key combination (I don’t know which one, it always happened by accident) created the topic and/or sent a message.
This is truly annoying, especially since no follow up email is sent, when editing this unfinished post. This means that someone who mainly reads their messages by mail, will only get part of a message.
Is there any way to turn off keyboard shortcuts while creating a message/topic? (On a per user basis - maybe a checkbox in `Preferences -> Interface`.)
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [26 februari 2019 om 23:46 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/2 "2019-02-26T23:46:36Z")
The one that you’re hitting is controlenter.
I’m happy the they are on. To make your point, however, Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts are off by default.
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [27 februari 2019 om 00:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/3 "2019-02-27T00:37:11Z")
> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> The one that you’re hitting is controlenter.
Nope, definitely not. My hand was not even close to the `Enter` key. In fact it happened when I hit some keys with either `cmd`, `option`, or `control` (or a combination of any of the meta keys) with my left hand. My right hand was not even on the keyboard.
I believe you that control+enter is one shortcut that triggers that behavior, but it’s for sure not the only one.
> [@pfaffman](#):
>
> I’m happy the they are on.
I’m not.
So what does that mean? I can’t turn them off?
P.S.: I forgot to mention: thanks for the reply.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [27 februari 2019 om 01:30 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/4 "2019-02-27T01:30:13Z")
It is not possible to turn them off at the moment, no. This is the first time in 6 years I’ve heard anyone say it is an issue, though.
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [27 februari 2019 om 02:36 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/5 "2019-02-27T02:36:20Z")
It’s not an issue per se, but this has happened to me several times already, so I’ve noticed it. That’s all.
I’ve already started to write my responses in a text editor first, but this seems like a shitty workaround. Thus I hoped for an option, but I do understand if you do not want to add one. (Maybe not to deactivate all shortcuts, but just the one that posts the topic.)
Or maybe it’s a glitch (bug) that some other key combination (besides ctrl+enter) triggers it.
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### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [27 februari 2019 om 09:30 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/6 "2019-02-27T09:30:53Z")
I understand. If we can reproduce it, we can fix it.
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 01:32 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/8 "2019-02-28T01:32:34Z")
I think I found it. It’s not a shortcut, but a sequence of keys.
If you hit `tab` by accident and then press `space` the post is created/sent.
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 01:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/9 "2019-02-28T01:37:05Z")
This can happen rather easily. You want to type ` and hit the TAB key instead. All following keys are ignored (which you might not notice right away) and if you then hit space… voilà.
Maybe `tab` shouldn’t focus the reply button. Funny thing is that the button is not even highlighted. Usually an element looks different, if the focus is on that element.
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### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 02:16 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/10 "2019-02-28T02:16:39Z")
Tab should definitely focus the reply button, it’s a major need for accessibility and keyboard navigation — the button _should_ highlight (something similar to the screenshot below), maybe there’s an improvement we can make there. Which browser are you using?
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 02:55 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/11 "2019-02-28T02:55:04Z")
I’m using Firefox 65.0.1 on macOS, but my button looks like this when the focus is on it:
But highlighting it would not help in my situation. If this situation occurs, tab and space are so quickly pressed after each other that highlighting would not do anything.
There are a few ways to improve the situation.
- If cancel were the first button to focus, this would never happen. Instead a popup would show up with the typical `Are you sure you want to abandon your post?` message.
- An option in preferences to
- require `control+tab` to jump out of the editor and focus `Reply`. I’d rather be able to enter tabs in the editor anyway.
- confirm sending the message (a similar popup like the one for canceling).
- choose the focus order (cancel, reply) or (reply, cancel)
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### Author:  [@seanblue](https://meta.discourse.org/u/seanblue)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 03:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/12 "2019-02-28T03:11:10Z")
> [@tessus](#):
>
> require `control+tab` to jump out of the editor and focus `Reply` . I’d rather be able to enter tabs in the editor anyway.
`Ctrl+Tab` is standard browser behavior for going to the next tab, so it seems like a bad idea to override that.
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### Author:  [@pmusaraj](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pmusaraj)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 03:22 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/13 "2019-02-28T03:22:41Z")
Hmm, I see this behaviour in other apps as well, for example, in Gmail, after typing an email and then hitting Tab followed by Spacebar.
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 03:24 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/14 "2019-02-28T03:24:56Z")
> [@seanblue](#):
>
> `Ctrl+Tab` is standard browser behavior for going to the next tab, so it seems like a bad idea to override that.
Ok, let me rephrase then: a combination of tab plus something. Or something else completely, something that is not `tab` alone.
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### Author:  [@tessus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/tessus)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 03:27 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/15 "2019-02-28T03:27:53Z")
> [@pmusaraj](#):
>
> Hmm, I see this behaviour in other apps as well, for example, in Gmail, after typing an email and then hitting Tab followed by Spacebar.
I don’t use the gmail web UI, so what does that mean? Gmail sends an empty email without subject and body? Not very smart, is it?
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### Author:  [@seanblue](https://meta.discourse.org/u/seanblue)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 03:29 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/16 "2019-02-28T03:29:39Z")
`Shift+Tab` is standard for tabbing in the opposite direction (in your example if you hit `Tab` to go from the text box to the Reply button, `Shift+Tab` would bring you back to the text box).
`Alt+Tab` is also standard Windows behavior (I can’t speak to other operating systems) for switching windows.
I’m not saying there’s no solution of course, but I don’t think you’ll find one that involves a new key combo with `Tab`. (But hey, I’m just a random user chiming in, so my word doesn’t mean much.)
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 04:33 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/17 "2019-02-28T04:33:56Z")
Tabbing to move around and space to interact are firm accessibility requirements. They should never be overridden, lest we get bombarded by many many legitimate accessibility complaints.
Sending a blank email is a legitimate thing too- many mailing lists require an email with unsubscribe in the title and no body content.
As others have said, this is the first time we’re hearing this. It’s going to be much easier for you to adjust to web conventions than for the internet at large to make allowances for you.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 04:37 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/18 "2019-02-28T04:37:08Z")
The Gmail solution is to have access to an undo button for some seconds.
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 04:45 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/19 "2019-02-28T04:45:01Z")
It’s not fair to call that an undo button, it’s deferred sending. They don’t actually send the message until the undo button disappears.
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### Author:  [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 04:50 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/20 "2019-02-28T04:50:55Z")
But if the message is really sent, there is no undo. And Discourse has some similar delays built in. This notion of undo is much better than an ‘are you sure’ because you just automatize the extra (annoying) prompt.
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### Author:  [@Stephen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stephen)
#### Post date: [28 februari 2019 om 04:51 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184/21 "2019-02-28T04:51:19Z")
Isn’t that just the edit window?
[Volgende pagina](https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-turn-off-tab-space-submitting-a-reply/110184.md?page=2)